Q & A | Rosie Clayden Design | Introduction & Review

Rosie Clayden is a jewellery designer that lives in Brighton, UK. She currently works full time in the North Laines and spends her days creating, mending, and designing beautiful pieces. She has an amazing skill set which enables her to create stunning fine jewellery out of precious gemstones and various tones of gold.

I stumbled across her Instagram page a while back and was instantly mesmerized by the alluring array of images she posts. Eager to get in touch with her, I messaged her and asked if she would kindly answer from questions for me so that I can share her story of how she came into the world of jewellery design and where she gains her inspiration from for you on this blog.

 

It is so interesting for a jewellery lover like myself to get an incite into the industry from someone who designs and creates beautiful jewellery on a daily basis and I am very excited to share this Q&A with you;

What inspired you to learn the art of Jewellery making?

My first experience of making jewellery was during my foundation year where I learnt to cast pewter using cuttlefish bone. I remember feeling proud with the funny little objects I had cast. I wasn’t completely sold at this point though and went on to study 3D Design & Craft at Brighton University. I am glad I did this because it allowed me to work with a range of materials including wood, plastic, ceramic and metal. In my final year I focussed on refining my jewellery skills. Working with precious metals, I created a collection of poison rings after being inspired by sixteenth century jewellery. I love the intricacy of jewellery and the challenges you are faced with working on a tiny scale.

Do you find it easy to gain inspiration for new pieces and collections?-Where do you gain most of your inspiration?

If I am making an engagement ring, this process usually starts with the stones. I will sit and carefully handpick individual stones and they often influence the design or way in which I use them. Trying out the positioning of stones on a piece of plasticine can help me to realise the best arrangement for the stones.

I also get inspired by nature, in particular insects! I have not had the chance yet to express this through my jewellery but hopefully in the near future this is something I can dedicate some time to.

When do you feel the most joy/reward from what you do?

I feel the biggest reward when I am able to learn a new technique through the making of a piece. I enjoy all aspects of the making but when I learn something new, it becomes more exciting and I feel a sense achievement even if it does take me a bit longer to make.
Its also rewarding when someone really loves and appreciates something you have made.

What are your future goals for the next season and 2017?

My future goals are to expand my collections and continue to make quality handmade jewellery. I particularly enjoy working with rose cut diamonds so expect to see more unique cluster engagement rings.

Will you be attending any Jewellery shows/events in 2017? If so, which ones and why?

For the past few years I have attended the International Jewellery London show. It has a huge range of jewellery suppliers from loose stones to tools and packaging. Each year this gives me the opportunity to try out new tools I am in need of and search for particular stones I have been looking for. It is a good opportunity to network and meet other designers. I also enjoy visiting other shows and craft fairs including, Etsy Made Local, Made Brighton and Artist open houses.

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Rosie has dedicated an Etsy site for her handmade creations, a Facebook page and the afore-mentioned Instagram;

Etsy

Facebook

Instagram

Rosie’s approach to showcasing her jewellery is by giving us an incite into the intricacies of her work. I love that we get to see how the jewellery is being made and the idea of potentially owning a piece that has had so much hard work put into it makes for a fantastically, loveable and personal outcome.

Check out Rosie’s pages for more images of her work, where to buy, and to keep up to date with her collections. A few of my favourites below;

 

EAN Jewellery | Introduction & Review

One of the great things about writing this blog is being introduced to local businesses and designers. I love talking to people from the local area of Brighton and I am very excited to introduce EAN Jewellery to you all.

Elizabeth Anne Norris is a jewellery designer from Hove, and has been designing and creating stunning jewellery since 1999. Her collection is influenced by nature, delicate and intricate textiles and everyday luxury. EAN offer bespoke commissions, jewellery making courses, and a wide range of jewellery to purchase. They have a hugely eclectic range of predominantly silver jewellery and yet the versatility is endless.

Elizabeth has been kind enough to send me a beautiful necklace from her range earlier this week;

The pendant arrived expertly and beautifully packaged with a handwritten postcard, perfectly incorporating the pendants name ‘Adventure Awaits’ within the message. I adore how personal the package felt when unwrapping it. It was almost as if the pendant was created and designed specifically for me and that a lot of thought was put into creating the perfect gift.

Adventure Awaits | EAN Jewellery | £35.00

‘Adventure Awaits’ is a stunning, silver pendant that was inspired by travel. Elizabeth told me that she made this piece for a friend who was leaving the UK to go travelling and I love this sentiment. I went travelling last year and couldn’t think of a more fitting present to take with me and wear for the whole trip.

The necklace itself is sterling silver and the pendant is double sided with hand stamped lettering and star features;

The chain is 45cm in length, and the diameter of the pendant is 10mm by 1mm thick. The necklace, once worn, feels lightweight-which I love! It’s a great balance of dainty and yet the chain itself feels strong and capable for everyday wear.

This pendant, and the rest of the EAN jewellery collection is available on a variety of online shopping platforms;

Etsy

Ethical Market

Folksy

Elizabeth also offers jewellery making workshops, including making your own wedding rings-amazing idea right? I have met plenty of people who love the idea of being part of their wedding ring designing, however to actually have a hand at making them is such an amazing and unforgettable experience.

I definitely have one of these jewellery making courses on my list of things to do in the new year. I have never created my own jewellery before, as admittedly i’m not very creative! However, by receiving such a unique and personal service from EAN jewellery when being gifted with this stunning pendant, I am encouraged and feel very welcome to enter the workshop being guided by Elizabeth. To find out more about having a go at creating some wonderful pieces, take a look at her site;

 www.eanjewellery.com

I have listed below a few of my other favourite pieces from the EAN collection, however please do check them out for some wish list inspiration and gift ideas!

Event | Alex Monroe GoldCrest | Silverado-Brighton

So  this is a little post today with a snippet of what I got up to this weekend. Saturday, October 8th, I popped along to Silverado in Brighton as they were hosting an Alex Monroe ‘Goldcrust’ event to honour their new collections and pieces within their fine jewellery ranges. I was mesmerised as soon as I saw the treasure chest displayed proudly on the shop counter. Almost too scared to touch any of the diamond pieces, I edged my way forward and was treated with the below delights;

Beautiful, Budding & British | Jewellery Brands | Introduction & Review

We are lucky here in Britain to have such a huge Jewellery Industry spanning across the whole of our little island. It was very hard for me to do so, but I have compiled a small list of what I see to be up and coming Jewellery brands that, not only are perfectly affordable, but beautiful, stylish and from local expanding businesses.

Beautiful Britain | Photo Credit: Travel&leisure

Pretty Eccentric | Brighton | Jewellery Review

Pretty Eccentric is a vintage inspired clothing and accessory boutique that sells a huge range of glamorous, feminine and luxurious items.

The shop is beautifully decorated and styled, it feels like you are walking into a glamorous walk-in wardrobe where the atmosphere is girly, friendly and intimate. I love the visual displays, they incorporate their products with vintage items perfectly, attracting window shoppers and spenders alike.

The Best Ways to Care For Your Jewellery

We all dream of having a huge collection of gems and jewels and the best way to ensure the longevity of your items is to make note of the points below;

 

The 4 C’s | The Basics Uncovered

After working in Jewellery retail I used to assist clients in buying Jewellery that knew tones of knowledge about diamonds. However, the majority of customers only knew the very basics. By basics I mean, which styles and sizes they like aesthetically. The GIA came up with the first globally recognised standard in explaining a diamonds characteristics and quality-The 4 C’s.

I’m going to explain the 4 C’s and what they stand for in hope to give you some knowledge behind buying the perfect diamond;

July 2016 Wish List

Coral Wrap around friendship bracelet  www.orelia.co.uk     £18

This bracelet is ideal for summer stacking. The coral compliments any skin tone and outfit, as well as other colourful friendship bracelets. I love how small and delicate the charms are, creating a subtle glamorous and girly touch.

 

18kt Rose Gold Vermeil Bar Ring                 Links of London     £130

How To Buy The Perfect Size Ring

You can find guides on pretty much any Jewellers website that aim to inform you of how to measure your finger or someone else’s. However, I don’t personally feel that a 2D circle with a measurement printed inside of it particularly helps. I have instead, compiled a list of do’s and dont’s, which I hope you find useful;

-Make sure that your finger temperature isn’t really cold or really hot. This will ensure that the ring is comfortable in winter & summer when your fingers are at their most/least swelling level.

-The thicker the ring band, the smaller the ring will be on your finger. It’s no good having your fingers measured once and sticking to that size forever, the size will depend of the style of the ring.

Introduction

Jewellery is universal. It has the ability to agglomerate gender, age and culture with an eclectic pallet of gemstones and metals. Celebrating individuality, jewellery is by no means underrated, as a strong, key player in the fashion industry, it is displayed to us on various media platforms on a daily basis, and is globally recognised as a powerful means to celebrate friendship, love and religion.

My aim with this blog is to create a forum for jewellery lovers who don’t necessarily feel knowledgable or ‘savvy’ about the industry. My previous experience stems from customer facing high street and high end jewellery retailers.

I live in Brighton, UK, on the south coast. I live in the heart of the North Laine surrounded by a range of jewellers, from antique to contemporary fine jewellery. My passion for jewellery has inspired this blog and I wish to share the knowledge that I am continuing to learn.